This week’s selection are the secret Apple product designs recently stolen by hackers.
This is a first for our Design of the Week: we’re selecting 3D models that we can’t see. But we know they exist.
Here’s the backstory: a report in Cybernews described a huge ransomware attack on Luxshare, a Chinese electronic components manufacturer, which took place in late 2025. It turns out that one of Luxshare’s clients is Apple: Luxshare performs assembly services for some Apple products. Luxshare also provides services for LG, Nvidia, Tesla and others.
The ransomware attackers claimed they have access to a number of files from Luxshare, which happen to include 3D CAD files for various Apple products from 2019-2025. Some of this data has been leaked on dark channels, which investigators from Cybernews examined. They write:
“According to our team, the leaked data includes details on what appear to be confidential projects regarding device repair and shipping between Apple and Luxshare, including timelines, detailed processes, and information about other Luxshare clients.
Moreover, the leaked information appears to include personal identifiable information (PII) of individuals working on specific projects, with their full names, job positions and work emails exposed.”
In the past there have always been third parties that develop 3D models of hypothetical future Apple products, and sometimes we’ve featured them as Design of the Week. Here, however, we may have the real thing: the actual 3D models designed by Apple.
Unfortunately we can’t access these 3D models directly, as the perps are holding back the majority of the data. Presumably they will attempt to monetize that data somehow, perhaps by selling it back to Apple, Nvidia, etc., or to competitors that wish to more quickly catch up without doing all the research and testing.
We often mention the security aspects of dealing with 3D models, and this situation is certainly the worst case scenario.
Via Cybernews
